The art of envisioning, bolting, cleaning, climbing a route as starting a discussion with others

" I see climbing as very "conversational" and the experiences of climbers and climbing is primarily shared with others by talking about it.You can video, take photos, and try to capture the experience, but it really comes down to expressing ourselves through words.I like the idea of someone climbing my route, then sitting down so we can talk about it together.It's very similar to creating a piece of art.It is there for the enjoyment, the experience and the conversation".

Joe also wrote: " The lines I bolt are something for everyone.I am not bolting it for just myself, or one other person, I am contributing to the climbing world with this little addition... I open them for “us”. I open them for everyone to enjoy."

To create a new route is really a GIVING experience, to give something to climbing and share it with climbers.Envisioning and cleaning are an important part of the whole process: " Its funny how easy it is to bolt a route, but to clean it takes so much more time. Then there is the second round of cleaning and moving bolts as well and hours upon hours get put in. Some serious effort man… "

Sometimes is nice to discover, envision, bolt and clean even a route that You are totally sure You never will climb, as it was for me and Ivan withthis route we bolted for "the future": we gave our little present to Adam, then Adam gave us back even a bigger one, completing thewhole process of bringing that future route into a present existence :-)

"Red tagging"(tieing a red sling to the first bolt to signify that the equipper doesn't want anyone else to try it)isa coin with2 sides: You can't say one is better than other. (photo courtsey of Joe Kinder @ joekindkid.com)

From one side, if You like to share the experience to participate in the raceto makereally the "first" ascent,with your friends or even strangers, pushing each other to the limits, as Nalle Hukkataival wrotehere :" You can't really claim a First Ascent if you won't let others to try your project. The word 'first' has no meaning in it, if no-one else even had the opportunity to try to do it before you."

" For some people the words First Ascent may mean "I beat everyone else."

I think that's particularly true in bouldering, where a bunch of guys find a new rock, and take turns trying it until one sends first.

It's a fun, openly competitive vibe where everyone wants to be first and one guy wins, and people don't take it that seriously, unless it's the hardest thing in the world.

I can see how Nalle, as primarily a boulderer, would carry that outlook into other forms of climbing.

I'm sure there are also sport climbers and trad climbers who share that basic view, and it's an easier view to embrace for projects that are below your own personal limit ".

On the other side, it's also true that bolting and cleaning climbers have some "voice" to let others know if their own efforts are open to others, before or after their own F.A.

An open "green" contest is a thing (and maybe is an idea a "9b contest" or just "green tagging") .

A more personal, "red" dream and experience about exploration, with perseverance, discovery of your own limits, free from any kind of pressure from competing with others for the F.A., is different, as Chris Sharma explains here:

" Its very different from inviting all the best climbers in the world tocome and climb it, turning it into a contest to see who does it first.For me I enjoy the process of equipping my own lines because it isn't acompetition, its your own personal quest on your own terms, using yourown personal vision and not following somebody else....I was so close to do the route which for me is a really important line in my personal progression andI didn't want to add to the pressure that I was already feeling personally with even more external pressure".

To know how to fail repeatedly for months and keep coming back until You finally breaks through Your own barriers and succeed:

sometime is nice, interesting and ... enough to compete just with Yourselves, to open later the discussion, after Your "sculture", with Your F.A., is completely finished and ready to be shared.

So,with or without direct competition on the rock,"red tagging"is 1 of the 2 options of the same FREE game:

are not2 options(red and green)better than 1 ?

More opinions here, here and here("It’s not like we can hash it out over a few beers at the bar, so the web is the only place to do it.")